Conure possibly sick?

by Kate
(Los Angeles, CA)

Sun Conure

Hi, I have a concern. My sun conure had a small 'bout' earlier today and I am concerned. He was acting normal this morning and while I was holding him, quite unexpectedly, he reached down and began to bite me which is very abnormal. Then he "mantled" his wings and began to pant. His right foot clamped closed. He jumped and fluttered to the floor and when I picked him up he kept leaping off and trying to get away-I noticed that now both feet were clamped closed.

Normally when afraid he comes to me rather than away. Once I secured him in a safe place, he was panting and I noted that his skin on his feet was more red than normal. He did not feel overly warm however his feet were clamped closed still. He was groomed 3 days ago. He tends to overheat during grooming and his skin turns red but nothing like this. I immediately started to cool his feet with water and once he seemed to be more alert offered him pedialyte. He refused it.

A call to the vet said that he was probably slightly dehydrated and to towel him and put a drop in his lower mandible as long as he was still acting fully alert. We did this and he seemed to get better but he is still very lethargic. His feet unclamped in about 4 minutes and he was able to sit on a perch with some stability. He will eat but will not drink still. He is making his normal chirps and noises but no screaming (another thing that is quite odd as he tends to have a normal loud "sun conure" screech every 30 minutes or so-kind of an "I am here" alert.)

The vet said to just continue to offer liquids every 15 minutes and not to worry much. His feces are wet with solid matter in them, not hard at all and normal in color-fairly normal but slightly more wet. I know that parrots mask their illenss so should I be concerned further and take him to another vet or is just keeping him hydrated the best thing?

(In the photo, he perked up a little and his eyes are open, clear, and he is a little less fluffy than he has been. You can see how red his feet are still though)

Comments for Conure possibly sick?

We have a brown headed parrot who gets seizures and the feet clamping is one of the symptoms. Not sure what sets him off. But he has one every two months or so. Generally if there's something new in his environment.